This invention relates generally to the process and devices for laying out and cutting rafters to be installed in a roof system of a residential or commercial building.
Traditionally, a carpenter or individual must make several trips up a ladder to determine the length of a span between the peak of a roof (as characterized by a ridge) and a wall plate such as may be at the top of an upstanding side wall of the building. This length measurement may be done by using a tape measure pulled between two people—one at the bottom and one at the top. And, even before the length can be determined, the angle of the future rafter must be estimated according to what width of lumber will be used. This angle measurement and the length measurement may be written on a paper, the palm of a worker's hand, or the like. Then, once the workers return to the ground, a piece of lumber may be cut to length and then lifted into position. Once the length and position of the rafter is confirmed, a notch to fit the wall plate may still need to be cut.
The complexity, inefficiency, potential for error, and the requirement to involve at least two workers makes it desirable to have a template for measuring the length, angle, and cuts that are needed to form the perfect rafter and to be done by a single worker. In other words, there needs to be a rafter measuring template that is useful by a Do-it-Yourself worker without an abundance of experience, skill, or helpers.
The rafter measuring template and its method of use according to the present invention provides a solution to each of the issues described above that otherwise make it difficult or overwhelming to a person who wants to build a roof system of rafters on his own without other helpers and with minimal training.